Norristown woman jailed for robbery after using hairspray to incapacitate victim

COURTHOUSE — A local woman who used hairspray to incapacitate her elderly victim pleaded guilty to robbery Wednesday and was sentenced to 9 to 23 months in prison.

Karen Mary Taylor, 44, of the 500 block of West Airy St., Norristown, was originally charged with two counts of robbery, criminal trespass, theft, receiving stolen property and simple assault. The latter charges were dropped pre-sentencing.

According to the affidavit, Taylor had been consistently asking for money from an elderly neighbor at the West Airy Street apartments, when on April 13 around 4:30 a.m. the neighbor heard a knock on the door.

“He heard a pounding on the door,” reads the affidavit.

“When he opened the door, he was sprayed in the face with some type of hairspray.”

Taylor then reportedly forced her way into the man’s apartment, gripped him by the throat and took $400, which was on top of his dresser. The man said he was sprayed in the face once more with something from an aerosol can, before Taylor stole away with the money in a bank envelope.

“She agreed to the sentence and is satisfied with the outcome of the case,” said Taylor’s attorney, Greg Nester.

“On the stand and at her sentencing, she expressed that she accepted responsibility for what she did. She was remorseful, tearful, when going through the guilty plea, and explained that she was extremely repentant for what she had done.”

At some point, the victim reportedly was able to grab the spray can away from Taylor, with whom the victim said he has had many past encounters. The victim was able to identify Taylor out of an eight-person lineup.

Taylor was ordered to pay $400 in restitution to the victim and was remanded to Montgomery County Correctional Facility.